Butternut squash pilaf

Ingredients

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

3/4 yellow onion, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 tsp yellow curry powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1 tsp fresh ginger, grated

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1 tsp tomato paste

2 cups butternut squash, peeled and grated

1 1/2 cups wild rice

2 3/4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup dried cranberries

2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced

1 stalk green onion, chopped

1 tsp lemon juice

This hearty vegetarian dish is a deliciously spiced and inexpensive dinner. Butternut squash is low in fat, high in fiber and filled with potassium and B vitamins, making this one seriously heart-healthy recipe.

Ripe butternut squash should be heavy for its size and have a nice matte-finish skin. Shiny squash indicates that it was picked too early and tends to be bitter.

If you don’t like the oaky flavor of wild rice, you can easily substitute brown rice in its place. This recipe makes a great entree on its own, or you can serve it as a side dish with pan-fried pork chops.

You can also shake things up by using the dish as a delicious filling for oven-roasted stuffed bell peppers.

If your rice becomes tender after 45 minutes but there is still more vegetable broth to be absorbed, uncover your pot and turn up the heat a bit to steam off the extra moisture. For an added kick of spice, add a pinch of ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

Instructions

In a medium pot, saute onion, carrot and celery for 5 minutes. Grate peeled ginger on the finest side of a block cheese grater. Add curry powder, cumin, ginger and garlic, and saute while stirring for 1 minute.

Grate butternut squash on the large-hole side of a box grater and stir into dish. Stir in salt, pepper, tomato paste, wild rice and vegetable broth. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 40 to 45 minutes until rice has absorbed all liquid and is tender.

Remove from heat, stir in cranberries and cover again to allow them to soften. Stir in parsley, green onion, lemon juice and, if desired, additional salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley leaves and enjoy!